Airbag Base Fabric Coating for Fast Deployment and Pressure Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional airbag base fabrics face challenges in achieving superior deployment speed, internal pressure retention, and workability due to adhesion issues with resin coatings and electrostatic charging, which hinder efficient deployment and passenger safety.
Innovation Solution
The development of a base fabric with a resin coating that exposes weaving thread filaments on the surface, inhibiting adhesion and electrostatic charging, achieved by controlling the amount and viscosity of the coating resin, adding low molecular weight alkoxysilane, and optimizing the weaving thread exposure rate and flatness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the amount of coated resin is increased to reduce air permeability and improve internal pressure retention, then internal pressure retention is improved, but the coated surfaces adhere to each other and deployment speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating surface irregularities only at specific locations (apical portions) rather than uniformly across the entire coated surface. The coating layer has different properties at different locations: smooth in most areas for good adhesion, and irregular at apical portions for adhesion prevention. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining overall coating integrity while creating localized anti-adhesion points that enable rapid deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses curvature/spheroidality by forming rounded apical portions (protrusions) on the coating surface. These spherical or dome-shaped irregularities reduce the contact area between opposing coated surfaces, minimizing adhesion points. The curved geometry allows the surfaces to roll or slide past each other during deployment rather than sticking, thus improving deployment speed while maintaining coating coverage for pressure retention.
2Reliability
If the amount of coated resin is increased to reduce air permeability, then internal pressure retention is improved, but workability decreases due to adhesion interruptions during sewing
Solution Approach 1:
The surface irregularities are localized to apical portions rather than distributed uniformly. This means that during sewing operations, the needle encounters irregularities only at specific points rather than continuously across the entire surface. The majority of the coating surface remains smooth, allowing sewing threads to pass through with minimal interruption, thus maintaining workability while still providing adhesion prevention at critical locations.
3Speed
If a lubricant and inorganic compound are added to the coating agent to prevent adhesion, then deployment properties are improved, but the processing process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the complex additive system (lubricants and inorganic compounds) from the coating formulation. Instead of chemically modifying the coating agent with multiple additives, the invention achieves adhesion prevention through purely physical means: surface irregularities formed by the coating application process itself. This simplifies the processing by eliminating the need to source, mix, and control multiple chemical additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical approach (using lubricants and inorganic compounds to reduce adhesion) with a mechanical/physical approach (creating surface irregularities through coating process control). The adhesion prevention is achieved through the physical geometry of the surface rather than chemical properties of additives, thereby simplifying the processing process while maintaining deployment performance.
4Reliability
If silicone coated onto Nylon 66 base fabric is used to achieve coating, then internal pressure retention is improved, but electrostatic charging increases due to nylon and silicone being at both poles of charging series
Solution Approach 1:
The surface irregularities act as an intermediary mechanism that reduces direct contact between opposing coated surfaces. By creating protrusions that minimize contact area, the invention reduces the generation of static electricity through friction and contact. The irregularities serve as a mechanical intermediary that prevents the full-force interaction between the nylon and silicone materials that would otherwise generate excessive electrostatic charge.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in airbags with enhanced deployment speed, improved internal pressure retention, and improved workability, ensuring effective passenger protection and efficient deployment while preventing electrostatic issues.
Implementation Method 1
the adhesiveness of the resin
Implementation Method 2
airbag base fabrics easily become electrostatically charged
Data Source
AI summary
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a base fabric for airbags with excellent deployment speed, internal pressure retention and workability, and an airbag using the same. The inventive base fabric for airbags has resin arranged in at least one surface of the cloth which comprises synthetic fibers, and is characterized in that the amount of resin adhered is from 10 to 50 g/m2 and, further, the weaving thread's filaments is exposed on the resin surface, and the weaving thread's filaments exposure rate is from 1 to 25%.